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Report: Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles to spurn WNBA Draft, enter transfer portal

IMG_9992by: Tyler Horka04/01/25tbhorka
miles
Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles (5) celebrates making a three pointer during an exhibition game against Davenport on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, at Purcell Pavilion in South Bend. Notre Dame won 101-41. (Photo by Michael Clubb / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

All Shams Charania knows is big news. Usually, it pertains to the NBA. Like when he broke the internet reporting the Luka Doncic trade. Monday, he reported more news about a particular basketball player — Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles.

Well, soon to be former Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles, if we’re to believe Charania’s report. Important context: he’s rarely, if ever, wrong.

Per Charania, Miles is expected to skip the 2025 WNBA Draft and exercise her final year of collegiate eligibility. She’s just not planning on using it in South Bend. Charania expects Miles to enter the NCAA transfer portal. She was projected to be the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s WNBA Draft.

Miles told reporters this past Saturday in the locker room at Legacy Arena that she was still weighing her options. The Fighting Irish had just lost to TCU in the Sweet 16, and Miles needed some time to think about what her next move was. Some time only ended up being a couple of days.

Of course, Miles still needs to choose a destination. So there are still things to work out on her end. But she’ll have plenty of suitors. She was a Second Team Associated Press All-American this season, and she’s been one of the best guards in women’s college basketball in the last handful of years when healthy.

As a senior coming back from a knee injury that held her out of her entire junior season, Miles averaged 15.4 points, 5.8 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game. She has the most triple-doubles in Notre Dame history. Two of her six came in back-to-back games this season. Her first game back following the injury was also a triple-double.

Miles enrolled early in the recruiting class of 2021. She was the No. 8 player in her cycle out according to ESPN. She played in 101 games in a Notre Dame uniform with 95 starts, averaging 14.2 points, 6.5 assists and 6.0 rebounds in 32.1 minutes per game.

The New Jersey native gave a heartfelt speech to Fighting Irish fans after her final game at Notre Dame’s Purcell Pavilion, a second-round NCAA Tournament win over Michigan. It felt like a farewell forever, and that’s ultimately what it will likely end up being — just under somewhat unexpected circumstances.

Miles spoke well of her time with the Irish in Saturday’s press conference after a 71-62 loss to the Horned Frogs, too. It’ll be strange seeing her in a different uniform in 2025-26, but such are the times in college sports. The transfer portal gives her an opportunity to make some money through name, image and likeness (NIL) while also putting a stamp on her college career in a different light.

“At the end of the day my goal coming to Notre Dame was to leave Notre Dame better than I found it and I think I did a pretty good job of that,” Miles said. “I hope so.”

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